2016-17 started a new era in Athens as Panathinaikos took the floor without legendary point guard Dimitris Diamantidis for the first time in a dozen seasons. It would prove to be a rocky start to the season as Mike James was sidelined by injury in the preseason, Argyris Pedoulakis resigned before the second EuroLeague game and later James Gist was lost for four months starting in November. However Xavi Pascual took over on the sidelines and righted the ship. After a four-game December winning streak, which included a victory over eventual champion Fenerbahce Istanbul, the Greens had climbed into a tie for second place at 9-5. Panathinaikos dropped its next four road games to slip back to seventh place with an 11-9 mark, but no team finished the season hotter. Panathinaikos won eight of its last 10 games to place fourth in the league with a 19-11 record; Gist returned during the run to form a mighty frontline duo with Chris Singleton, who was named Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP for March. Sadly for Panathinaikos, its momentum came to an immediate end when it faced Fenerbahce in the playoffs. Panathinaikos led by 16 in the second half of Game 1 before Fenerbahce took control with an 8-40 run and never looked back in sweeping the series and putting a cruel end to a promising Panathinaikos campaign.

EuroLeague

SEASON

COMPETITION

RECORD

FINISH

2016-17

EuroLeague

19-14

Playoffs

2015-16

EuroLeague

15-12

Playoffs

2014-15

EuroLeague

13-15

Playoffs

2013-14

EuroLeague

14-15

Playoffs

2012-13

EuroLeague

17-12

Playoffs

2011-12

EuroLeague

14-9

Semifinals

2010-11

EuroLeague

16-6

Champion

2009-10

EuroLeague

10-6

Top 16

2008-09

EuroLeague

17-5

Champion

2007-08

EuroLeague

15-5

Top 16

2006-07

EuroLeague

20-4

Champion

2005-06

EuroLeague

16-7

Playoffs

2004-05

EuroLeague

15-10

Semifinals

2003-04

EuroLeague

9-11

Top 16

2002-03

EuroLeague

14-6

Top 16

2001-02

EuroLeague

19-3

Champion

TOTAL:

243-140

History

A giant not only in Greek sports, but also in continental basketball, Panathinaikos first took charge of the local hoops scene with 12 domestic titles over a 17-year stretch between 1967 and 1984. After a dry period, Panathinaikos bounced back to become a top team in Europe. In 1996, Panagiotis Giannakis, Dominique Wilkins and Fragiskos Alvertis came together and secured the first EuroLeague title by a Greek team. A few years later, the club started a new streak of league crowns at home. In 2000, led by head coach Zeljko Obradovic, Panathinaikos lifted its second EuroLeague trophy in Thessaloniki with a win over Maccabi Tel Aviv, and the Greens won it all again in 2002 by upsetting Virtus in Bologna. It all clicked for Panathinaikos again in the 2006-07 campaign. That would prove to be one for the history books as Panathinaikos knocked off defending champion CSKA in the 2007 EuroLeague championship game – an instant classic played in Athens. Two years later the Greens put their name on the title again with Vassilis Spanoulis earning Final Four MVP honors in Berlin in one of the most exciting finals in basketball history. In 2010-11, EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP Dimitris Diamantidis shined as the Greens turned away defending champ Regal FC Barcelona in the playoffs and then downed Maccabi Electra in Barcelona for its sixth EuroLeague crown. During 2011-12 season, Panathinaikos lost a tough EuroLeague semifinal and saw its streak of nine straight Greek League championships come to an end. That season also marked the end of the Coach Obradovic era. Panathinaikos was one win away from returning to the Final Four in 2013 and 2014, but stayed strong in Greece with back-to-back league and cup doubles. In the 2014-15 season, Panathinaikos won the Greek Cup, made it to the Greek League finals and reached the EuroLeague playoffs for the fifth consecutive season before losing to CSKA Moscow in four games. The Greens returned to the EuroLeague playoffs in 2016 and lifted the Greek Cup trophy for the fifth consecutive season, however archrival Olympiacos prevailed in the Greek League finals. Last season, Panathinaikos was ousted by eventual champion Fenerbahce Istanbul in the EuroLeague playoffs, but shook it off and finished the season in style with another Greek League and Cup double.